Alimentary Fluoride Intake in Children at the Age of 4 to 5 Years

Circadian alimentary intake of fluoride was estimated in the group of 18 children of the mean age of 4.75 years and of 20.69 kg body weight by means of the double plate method in two stages within 6 months. Parents were asked to record the 24 hrs diary and collect duplicated portions of food and beverages taken in this time interval by children. Pooled samples of food and beverages were weighed and samples of solid food were homogenized. Fluoride from food samples was extracted by the microdiffusion hexadecyldisiloxane+ perchloric acid facilitated method. The contents of extracted fluoride from solid food and fluoride in beverages was measured potentiometrically by means of fluoride ion sensitive electrode. The mean circadian fluoride intake in the first stage of study amounted to 0.274 (0.144-1.168) mg/day, in the second stage 0.330 (0.195-1.340) mg/day, which in the recalculation to mg fluoride/kg of BW/day amounted to 0.014 (0.008-0.049), and. 0.015 (0.010-0.054), respectively. The calculated fluoride intake reached the bottom of the optimal fluoride intake threshold (0.05-0.07 mg/kg bw/day. When adding the possible intake of fluoride from swallowed fluoride tooth paste the total intake has already fully fallen into the rank of the intake threshold. Results substantiate the caution when indicating fluoride supplements and their dosage schedule among pre school children.